What a Coincidence!
by 155cm
Summary: (Drabble series/Not necessarily chronological)(Accepting requests) Also known as, the one where not EVERYONE knows how to speak Japanese. Consequently, this results in some interesting difficulties in communication. Curse them language barriers!
1. Daily Life Arc - Gokudera

**Summary:** (Drabble series/Not necessarily chronological)(Accepting requests) Also known as, the one where not EVERYONE knows how to speak Japanese. Consequently, this results in some interesting difficulties in communication. Curse them language barriers!

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 **Note:** 155cm has studied Japanese as a second language, but is NOT fluent. Gently point out any mistakes! She has never studied Italian. Some of these verbal mix-ups are purely for comedic purposes and can be created via spur-of-the-moment writing.

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 **All recognisable elements here belong to Akira Amano and the team behind Katekyo Hitman Reborn. 155cm owns nothing except creativity and possibly terrible humour.**

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Atmosphere tense, Tsuna's heart thuds rapidly in his chest as hostile green eyes lock onto his frail form. _Really_ , he should have realised something is odd about this. Transfer student from Italy, who looks like the stereotypical image of a delinquent? This whole thing spells out 'dangerous misunderstood best friend of the main character with a tragic background'.

The guy smacks Tsuna's desk over, sending all his things tumbling to the ground.

"What a weak bones." Gokudera Hayato, transfer student from Italy mutters dangerously as he finally walks away from Tsuna's table.

Petrified in shock, Tsuna wonders what on earth that is even meant to mean.

* * *

"You die, I become school principal!" Hayato yells. "Reborn promised!" The dynamite he's pulling out from what seems like thin air is enough evidence for Tsuna to know that this guy means serious business.

Tsuna turns to Reborn, frantic. "Is he telling the truth?" He doesn't _want_ this delinquent as his school principal!

Reborn looks an inch away from murder. "Don't be stupid, Dame-Tsuna. Wait here." Hopping up from his comfortable spot a few metres away, he approaches Hayato, who bends down at Reborn's request. A textbook and whiteboard appear out of seemingly nowhere, and Leon shifts into a pointer as Reborn proceeds to give Hayato a crash-course on Japanese.

 _"…make sure you pronounce it like this…"_

 _"Good, try it again…"_

 _"Remember, die is_ die (shinde) _, remember it because it starts with a shi, which sounds similar to death god, which is_ death god (shinigami) _…"_

After a few moments, Reborn nods, apparently satisfied. The whiteboard disappears, as does the textbook. Leon shrinks back down to his usual chameleon-shaped self, tongue flicking out in content. There's a few moments of silence as Reborn makes his way back to his vantage point (the best position from where he can watch Tsuna's imminent butt-kicking). Only once Reborn has settled back into his prior position at the sidelines does Hayato spring into action.

Pointing a finger at Tsuna, his glare is so sharp it can pierce through bone. "If you're the Vongola Boss, I become dead!"

The very dramatic, intense moment befitting of a pre-battle monologue is ruined when he turns to the side. "Was that right, Reborn-san?"

 _"No. It's_ 'If you die, I become the Vongola Boss' _."_

"Oh."

Tsuna has to admit, the guy looks a bit more approachable when he's blushing from embarrassment.

"If you die, I become the Vongola Boss!"

"Hiee!" Okay, nevermind. That's terrifying enough to make him want to run and hide with the neighbour's chihuahua.

"How about that, Reborn-san?"

"Not bad, but make sure you enunciate a little more clearly."

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"I don't want a subordinate!" Tsuna panics at the grovelling teen before him. "I just want a friend!"

"Friend?" Hayato looks up in wonder, amazement shining in his eyes. Still, he doesn't say anything against it, and Tsuna emits a sigh of relief. Whew, crisis averted.

 _"What does_ friend _mean?"_

Once he learns the meaning, he turns back to Tsuna. "I refuse!"

"Eeeehh?"

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 **Language Note:** Technically, "die" is shinimasu (polite/formal), and shinu (dictionary/plain form). "Shinde" is a conjugation of it, and used a lot in anime. Like, a lot.

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 **If you want to see a character/specific scene, feel free to request!**

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 **a/n:**

Please don't ask me where I pulled this from I have no idea I was just sitting minding my own business and was like "hey what if the Varia couldn't speak Japanese imagine how difficult the Ring Battles would be" but then I wrote this...


	2. Mukuro Arc - Mukuro

**Summary:** (Drabble series/Not necessarily chronological)(Accepting requests) Also known as, the one where not EVERYONE knows how to speak Japanese. Consequently, this results in some interesting difficulties in communication. Curse them language barriers!

* * *

 **Note:** 155cm has studied Japanese as a second language, but is NOT fluent. Gently point out any mistakes! She has never studied Italian. Some of these verbal mix-ups are purely for comedic purposes and can be created via spur-of-the-moment writing.

* * *

 **All recognisable elements here belong to Akira Amano and the team behind Katekyo Hitman Reborn. 155cm owns nothing except creativity and possibly terrible humour.**

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Surprisingly enough, the first thing Tsuna feels upon learning of the existence of Rokudo Mukuro isn't terror but _relief_. Of course, the whole 'Hiee he's out to attack all my friends to get to me!' thing settles in a couple of seconds later, but there's a silver lining to this cloud that Tsuna can focus on.

 _Rokudo Mukuro is a Japanese name._

This on its own holds little merit. After all, Hayato is (part) Japanese too, and he has only just recently finished memorising _hiragana_ and _katakana_. However, the infiltration of Kokuyo Middle suggests that Rokudo Mukuro speaks Japanese at least _somewhat_ decently.

Additionally, the fact that the mysterious guy has navigated his way through Japan all the way to the town of Namimori for the express purpose of seeking the future Vongola Boss – which is him, hiee! – serves to further validate the fact that he must have some knowledge in the Japanese language.

If the guy speaks Japanese, then Tsuna can actually _talk_ things out for once instead of launching straight into a confusing game of charades.

Things are really shaping up.

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Alright, so Rokudo Mukuro is swinging around a giant metal ball and is glaring at all of them with enough strength to kill, but fortunately for Tsuna he has a bunch of good friends who are willing to assist him in a fight to the death.

More importantly, although Mukuro seems intent on 'fight now, talk later', he's at least being communicative, which means that Tsuna is right in his assumption that Mukuro knows Japanese. This leaves him free to chase after Fuuta who has suddenly appeared on the edge of the battle like a strategically placed lure, therefore encouraging Tsuna to act every inch the Main Character as he chases him down.

Whilst Fuuta has picked up certain Japanese phrases and the way he calls him 'Tsuna-nii' is perhaps the most adorable thing Tsuna has ever heard, he's not quite at the level where he can wander around so freely. It's only recently that he mastered how to ask to go to the toilet, he has _so_ much more to learn!

"Stop!" Tsuna calls out as Fuuta disappears from sight.

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"Wait, I'm sorry but I don't understand what you're trying to say." Tsuna interrupts the teenager mid-dramatic speech, tone apologetic as he reaches into his pocket for that notepad he had taken to carrying around with him ever since a bunch of non-Japanese-speaking people had begun to appear in his life. It's quite nifty because sometimes they can read and not speak, or if all else fails diagrams can be useful too. Tsuna has gotten quite good at drawing stick figures as of late, and soon he might even try to replicate the art style of his favourite _mangaka_.

The stranger tenses when he sees Tsuna reaching into his pocket. _"Are you taking out a gun? I'm a victim, I've been taken prisoner by Rokudo Mukuro!"_

"Whoa!" Assuming correctly that his movement has startled the stranger, Tsuna holds up his hands in a placating manner. "It's okay, I'm just taking out some paper."

"Paper?" The real Rokudo Mukuro repeats the vaguely familiar-sounding term, rolling it in his mind as he tries to think of what few Japanese words he has picked up from his time here. The memory of someone pointing at his head rises to the forefront of his mind.

 _"Are you making fun of my hair?"_

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"What happened?"

Tsuna groans from his place on the ground, having just blinked open his eyes after falling unconscious. His head is pounding and he has a distinct feeling that the course of his life has just been messed up beyond repair, but nonetheless he tries to focus on Reborn's face. "I have no idea. I just wanted to talk to the guy, but all of a sudden he attacked me."

"So it wasn't you who went on a rampage and forced all your family members into getting matching hairstyles?"

"What?"

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 **Language Note:**

In case anyone is curious, to ask to go to the toilet (politely!) you say - toire ni itte moidesuka? (toire=toilet, ittemoidesuka=may (I)go?). If you're being informal, drop the 'desuka'.

Hair vs paper - both are pronounced the same; kami. (Incidentally, god=kami as well...)

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 **If you want to see a character/specific scene, feel free to request! Each chapter won't necessarily be situated in the same 'universe', so no worries about contradicting something that happens.**

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 **a/n:** Some people were curious about Mukuro, so I decided to oblige. Aka the one where Tsuna gets his ass kicked, never enters hyper dying will, and presumably gets possessed...

Also, quick question - how does the Skullitis disease work? Does the hearer understand what the secrets are regardless of language, do they speak in the language of the one inflicted with the disease, or?! How does it work with bilingual people, too?! If no one has an answer, I'll be exploring this with a "HAHAHA ANYTHING GOES" mindset ... (which to be honest, I might do anyway)


End file.
